Police Charge Boynton Man In `89 Killing

POMPANO BEACH -- One played war games in the Everglades and kept a cache of weapons in his Boynton Beach home. The other, police said, has been trying to buy hand grenades.

Both men are wanted on murder charges.

Police are searching for Paul Charles Dimitrion, 25, and Robert Mark Gooberman, 30, suspects in the execution-style murder of an Arizona State University student during a drug ripoff in Pompano Beach in April 1989.

It has taken a year, but police have gathered enough evidence to get a warrant for the arrest of the two men.

``These people have to be considered extremely dangerous,`` Lt. Dave Cassell said. ``They lack any respect for human life.``

A third suspect, Jason S. Pepitone, 19, was arrested two weeks after the slaying and was charged with first-degree murder, trafficking in marijuana and armed robbery.

The victim, Michael Diaz, 22, of Tempe, Ariz., was shot once in the back of the neck in Pepitone`s Pompano Beach home.

When police used a search warrant to look through Gooberman`s home in the 1600 block of Palmland Drive, Boynton Beach, they found eight guns and pictures of him dressed in fatigues and pointing a gun at a friend, Detective George Wesolowski said.

``Gooberman likes pretending he is a paramilitary-type of person. He enjoys the fantasies of gunplay,`` Wesolowski said.

``There are pictures of him from the Everglades, surrounded by swords, guns and all types of paramilitary stuff.``

As for Dimitrion, ``We have intelligence information that he has been trying to buy 10 hand grenades,`` Cassell said.

Police described the events leading to Diaz`s killing and the murder warrants this way:

Diaz had a meeting set up with Pepitone for 9:30 p.m. on April 10 for a drug deal. Diaz drove from Arizona with 150 pounds of Mexican marijuana. At $800 a pound, it would bring him $120,000.

The two met as scheduled. What Diaz didn`t know was that Pepitone had arranged for Dimitrion and Gooberman to show up and take the drugs.

Diaz was tied up with electrical tape. He broke free and the four men fought.

``Diaz was shot execution-style to the back of the neck,`` Wesolowski said.

The trio left Diaz`s body and took the marijuana to an unknown location.

They returned to the house, wrapped the body in a comforter and prepared to dump it. But one of Pepitone`s roommates drove up the street and saw them. Pepitone, Dimitrion and Gooberman fled out the back door.

Police found the body in the living room.

Within two weeks, Pepitone was arrested and charged with murder. But it took police almost a year to gather enough evidence to get arrest warrants for the other two suspects.

Ten days ago, Margate police arrested Dimitrion on charges of aggravated assault for pointing a .45-caliber handgun at a group of people, a Broward County Jail spokesman said. He was released on $3,500 bail.

Gooberman never returned to his job as a drywall installer after the murder, Wesolowski said. Acquaintances of Gooberman have said he has dyed his brown hair red as a disguise, Wesolowski said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Pompano Beach police at 786-4200.

SUSPECTS

Police are searching for these men in connection with a Pompano Beach murder in April 1989: